Sustainable Building Design and Construction

Sustainable housing solutions are becoming an integral part of contemporary design, especially in Melbourne. As the world continues to combat climate change, creating sustainable buildings that have little impact on the environment are becoming increasingly more popular.

Sustainable housing considers the construction, design and operation of your house over its lifetime in three contexts:

• Environmental sustainability, which considers water, waste, energy, emissions and contamination.

• Economic sustainability, which considers construction and material costs, utilities and resale value.

• Social sustainability, which considers safety, security, accessibility and aesthetics. 

Sustainable Melbourne home builders

At JKBD, all our home designs are developed to maximise all three categories of sustainability. Whether you are building a brand new home or just looking to retrofit your existing property, Melbourne-based sustainable home building designers can work with you to implement climate-responsive designs that uphold your standards of sustainability.

Sustainable building: embracing passive design

Sustainable buildings embody passive design, which embraces the climate that surrounds us by maintaining a comfortable temperature range within the home. This unique design is sustainable in a range of ways. From reducing or eliminating the need for auxiliary cooling and heating to phasing out the overall greenhouse gas emissions from your home, this unique design uses natural sources of heating and cooling to achieve this. Letting in sun and cooling breezes can be reached by orienting a building appropriately and carefully designing the roof, walls, windows and floors of the building, otherwise known as the buildings envelope. 

However, achieving the ultimate passive design look requires a basic understanding of how the home works with seasonal climate change, such as when to close or open a window and how to operate adjustable shading. Passive design strategies can also vary depending on the climate. Choosing a home design consultant who is experienced in passive design can help ensure the use of thermal performance software in your home.

Let’s talk sustainable housing solutions

Whether you are looking to reconfigure an existing home or are hoping to build a completely new and 100% sustainable home, JKBD can help you achieve just that. With over 20 year of experience in the design and building industry, our sustainable building designers can help you create the ultimate eco-friendly design for your home.

For more information on additional services or to book a free initial consultation to discuss your sustainable design ideas further, give our Mount Waverley office a call at (03) 9886 8000 or send us an email at info@jkbd.com.au and one of our experts will be happy to walk you through the process.